The present invention relates to bicycle lighting systems, more specifically, to a bicycle hub assembly having a lighting system that is powered by rotation of the hub assembly relative to the bicycle and includes one or more luminaries or light emitting diodes (LED'S) that are powered by rotation of the hub assembly.
Over the recent past, the market has witnessed a profound consumer interest in recreational bicycles. The consequence of this popularity of bicycle riding has been a growing presence of bicycle operators or cyclists, of all ages, on public roads or off road trails. Further, as the recreation has grown, typical bicycle excursions or trips have lengthened in extent and, concomitantly a great variety of lighter, multi-geared and faster bicycles have entered the marketplace. Increasingly, bicycle trips are made at later hours and for extended distances, to the extent that riders now are frequently encountered on the highways or trails at dawn or near or before sunrise as well as at dusk and into nightfall. Twenty-four hour off road races or night rides are also not uncommon. The safety aspects involved with such night riding are apparent and the necessity for providing a good light source, for both lighting a travel direction and improving the visibility of cyclist to others, has assumed considerable importance.
Whether the bicycle is used for recreation, transportation or competition, the bicycle industry is constantly improving the various components of the bicycle in order to keep up with rising consumer interest. Others provide light systems that are integrated in the hub assembly of the bicycle. Such systems can be battery powered or powered by a dynamo or other generator device having components that are associated and supported between rotatable portions of the bicycle assembly. As explained further below, room for improvement exists in both the functionality and the operation of such systems with respect to the underlying bicycle and in the illumination and/or visibility performance of such wheel based illumination systems.
Heretofore, lighting systems for bicycles have been designed more under ornamental considerations than under criteria meeting the actual operational needs of the cyclist. At the present, many cyclists use either a headlamp or lights or reflectors mounted to the frame or forks of a bicycle to illuminate a travel path. Many of these illumination devices require a battery power source. The addition of the battery power source increases the weight and bulk characteristics of the illumination system and requires periodic replacement of the light and/or the batteries to maintain operation of the light system. Such attributes detract from the light weight and ease of use associated with such serviceable bicycle structures.
As discussed further below, bicycle driven generators or dynamos are also commonly used instead of batteries. Such power sources are commonly driven by the rider and thereby require additional rider exertion to operate the illumination system. Such in-use powers systems are also motion and speed dependent, thus rendering such lighting systems inoperative or ineffective during low speed, stopping or other slow speed ride conditions. The change in illumination performance during such speed and/or steering maneuvering creates a less than desirable illumination performance of the lighting system.
Aside from the power source considerations discussed above, many illumination systems are limited to forward directed light sources and provide less than desirable left hand and right hand directed illumination or lighting performance. That is, the forward facing direction of such lighting systems, while providing adequate rider visibility at operating speeds, commonly provide less than desirable illumination for those locations located on the lateral opposite sides of the bicycle and rider.
Such illumination systems are also difficult to see or impossible to recognize as a cyclist when viewed from even nearby forward positions that are offset from the substantially forward facing direction of the light beam. Many such illumination devices are nearer imperceptible when viewed from offset distances, such as by the operators of automobiles, during different lighting conditions and positions relative to the lateral sides of the cyclist. Such limited visibility provides less than desirable visibility of the cyclist particularly during cross traffic situations.
Another consideration of such light systems concerns the unfortunate prevalence of thievery of valuable accessories from bicycles while they remain locked but unattended. More valuable, sophisticated equipment mounted upon a bicycle cannot be left unattended. The removal of such equipment for short periods wherein the bicycle is locked but unattended represents an operational inconvenience that detracts from the use or purchase of more expensive but quality equipment.
Those lighting systems that are supported by or otherwise configured to interact with the rotational operation of the hub can also detrimentally impact the functionality of other advancements in the bicycle arts. Many bicycles utilize, and many cyclists prefer, bicycle wheel assemblies that are connected to the bicycle frame and/or forks with a quick release assembly. Most quick release assemblies include a rotatable lever that is rotationally connected to an axle assembly. The lever is commonly rotatable between an “open” position and a “closed” position wherein the open position allows the tire or wheel to be removed from the bicycle and the closed position secures the wheel assembly for rotatable interaction with the bicycle. Such quick release assemblies allow a rider to quickly and conveniently remove and/or replace a tire and/or wheel assembly for service or replacement.
Bicycle wheel hub assemblies that include a power source such as one or more batteries, a generator, or a dynamo power source communicate the power signal to lighting sources that are supported by other structures of the bicycle that are positionally fixed relative to the bicycle frame. Said in another way, the lights and power sources are commonly on alternate structures relative to the rotational aspects of the wheels and the bicycle frame or other pivotable but non-rotatable structures of the bicycle. In such configurations, one or more wires or rotatable contacts extend between the hub and the illumination device to connect the power source to the illumination device. Such electrical connections tend to interfere with the functionality of a wheel quick release assembly in that the wires tether the wheel assembly to the underlying bicycle. Said in another way, wheel assemblies connected to such illumination devices cannot be simply removed and replaced without interfering with or otherwise manipulating one or more of the components of the illumination system.
In view of the above, there is a need for an improved bicycle lighting system that includes a light and power source that is light weight, improves lateral visibility of the bicycle, can be controlled to provide a desired illumination characteristic and operation, is easily securable with the respective structures of the bicycle, and does not interfere with or detrimentally affect the functionality of other systems of the bicycle.